Premium Japanese gin ‘Roku’ launches in five cities across the UK

The House of Suntory has today (Friday 15 December) announced the launch of Roku in the UK – the first premium gin from the Japanese distiller.

Distilled and bottled in Osaka, Roku – which means ‘six’ in Japanese – will be available from today in over 50 on-trade outlets across London, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. Bars include Gaucho and Sexy Fish (London), Montpeliers and Gin71 (Edinburgh), Anchor Line and Dakota Hotel (Glasgow), and Constellations and Pen Factory (Liverpool).

Carefully crafted by Japanese artisans using six botanicals that can only be found in Japan, in a process unique to Roku where each botanical is steeped and distilled in a variety of pot stills to extract the best possible flavour before being carefully blended by Master Distiller Kazuyuki Torii. Each of the six botanicals has been harvested in accordance with the Japanese concept of ‘shun’, the tradition for enjoying each ingredient at its best and only harvested once they have reach peak flavour – ensuring optimum flavour is imparted to the gin as part of the distillation process.

Through painstaking attention to detail to ensure the perfect balance, the distinct flavours of sakura flower, sakura leaf, yuzu peel, sencha tea, gyokuro tea and sansho pepper offer a subtle yet sophisticated profile with a smooth and silky texture punctuated by Yuzu top notes and a crisp, clean, spicy finish.

Taking inspiration from the Japanese tradition of ‘Omotenashi’ – a philosophy which emphasises hospitality – the signature Roku Gin & Tonic is served with ice and six hand-cut slivers of fresh ginger to accentuate the Yuzu top notes within the gin and provide a uniquely refreshing flavour.

Johna Penman, Maxxium Head of Brands for Beam Suntory, said: “Distilled in Osaka’s Suntory Liquor Atelier, the high standards set out by Suntory’s principles of artisanship in premium whiskies have been applied to Roku to create an unmistakably complex and balanced gin. What’s more, we firmly believe that Roku will stand apart as the definitive Japanese gin in the UK’s growing premium gin category, both in the on trade and off-trade as we look to expand the reach of Roku nationwide in 2018.”

Roku is served in a bespoke hexagonal bottle featuring one of the unique Japanese botanicals embossed on each facetand complimented by a hand-designed label printed on traditional Japanese ‘washi’ paper. With an ABV of 43 per cent, Roku is a truly distinctive gin that reflects the painstaking and meticulous craftsmanship of the House of Suntory’s expert distillers and the rich heritage from which it draws inspiration.

Roku is available in over 50 bars selected bars from today across London, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

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